Madison orchestra’s spring concert set May 6

Madison City Community Orchestra will present “A Concert in the Spring” on May 6 at 7 p.m. at Madison United Methodist Church. RECORD PHOTOS/JFD Photography & Design

MADISON – Madison City Community Orchestra (MCCO) will present “A Concert in the Spring” on May 6.

Madison United Methodist Church at 127 Church St. will host the concert at 7 p.m. in the Christian Life Center.

“The program will feature music across the genres,” orchestra director Sandy Weisner said. Music selections will range from classical to film scores. The concert is open to the public.

In the “Go West” section, the orchestra will perform selection from 1960s’ western films, like “Hang ‘Em High” and “The Magnificent Seven.” The music will remind the audience of gunslingers, outlaws, covered wagons and lots of dirt and dust.

They will pay homage to Ira and George Gerswhin with “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” “An American in Paris” and “Rhapsody in Blue.” Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” and arranged by Longfield-Boosey-&- Hawkes is a “longtime favorite brass representation re-written for a full orchestra,” Weisner said.

MCCO members voted “Players Choice” on “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” “You get carried away by pirates and scary sea monster Kraken as they battle for treasure on the open seas,” Weisner said.

“Dances with Wolves” by Rosenhaus, “Lord of the Kings” by Howard Shore and “Triumph of the Argonauts” by Robert Sheldon also are on the program.

The benediction will feature a senior solo.

Already in planning for this fall, MCCO will commemorate the golden anniversary of the orchestral suite,”The Planets, Op. 32″ composed by Gustav Holst in 1914-1916.

“We are now up to 67 players for the fall project,” Weisner said. “It’s going to be phenomenal. ”

Featuring each planet, the movements are “Mars – Bringer of War,” “Venus – Bringer of Peace”; “Mercury – Winged Messenger”; “Jupiter – Bringer of Jollity”; “Saturn – Bringer of Old Age”; “Uranus – Magician” and “Neptune – the Mystic.”

In conjunction with the concert, MCCO will sponsor a citywide art project.

Rehearsals for the fall concert will open June 6 from 6:30 to 8.p.m. “We encourage anyone to participate in the event and to help with our centennial celebration of a master suite of orchestral music,” Weisner said.